London Film Festival features

London Film Festival features three South African films… check out the trailers here

The London Film Festival opened on Wednesday and there are three South African films to look forward to.

London Film Festival features

It’s that time of year when London is heaving with great films and red carpets are full of international celebrities there for the 59th BFI London Film Festival which runs from Oct 7th to 18th. And, as last year, there are three feature films from South Africa, Oliver Hermanus’ drama The Endless River, Sarah Blecher’s vibrant Johannesburg-set Ayanda and Sibs Shongwe-Le Mer’s black-and-white Necktie Youth.

The Endless River is set in the Cape and tracks the strange, atmospheric paths by which two characters form a close but ironic and precarious bond. One is a Frenchman (Nicholas Duvauchelle) who lives on a farm, the other is a young black woman (Crystal-donna Roberts) who works at the local restaurant.

Ayanda is a fresh, modern tale about a 21 year old Afro hipster chick (Fulu Mugovhani) who inherits her Nigerian father’s struggling garage in colourful Yeoville and with her boyfriend (OC Ukeje) start refurbishing vintage cars.

For Necktie Youth the world of contemporary Johannesburg youth is also delved into but this lot are the privileged born frees into slacking, drugs and alcohol who get blown out of their relatively sheltered lives.

As usual there are hundreds of films to choose from at the festival (238 features films and 182 shorts) from countries worldwide and playing at venues all over London. This year’s guests include Meryl Streep, Tom Hiddleston, Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren, Benedict Cumberbatch, Carey Mullligan, John Goodman, Michael Fassbender, Rachel Weisz, Colin Farrell and others. The festival is bookended by British directors’ works, Suffragette, Sarah Gavron’s tribute to women campaigning for the vote, and Steve Jobs which is Danny Boyle’s biopic of the Apple boss.

It is one of the oldest festivals in the world and the programme is on www.bfi/org.uk/lff. Tickets can be bought online (bfi.org.uk/lff) by telephone (020 7928 3232) or in person at BFI Southbank from 11.00 to 20.30 daily.

Screenings:

Ayanda : Sat 10th Cineworld Haymarket at 20.45 and Sun 11th Ritzy at 18.15

The Endless River : Tues 13th Curzon Mayfair at 18.20 and Thurs 15th Vue Islington at 21.00

Necktie Youth : Fri 16th Ritzy at 21.00 and Sun 18th Curzon Soho at 16.00

 

Cover Image: Getty Images

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